This invention is directed to arcade games, and more particularly to arcade games where prizes are pushed or slid across a playing field into a player's collection bin, or otherwise captured within the game necessitating the refilling and redistribution of the remaining prizes.
Pusher type arcade games are well known in the art, where a pusher maneuvered by a player moves a prize by either sliding the one or more prizes into a collection bin or otherwise “knocking” a prize into the bin. The pusher is typically arranged on a support system that can be controlled by the player. If the player has successfully positioned the pusher, the player may acquire the prize/target and retrieve it from the collection bin for redemption, collection, etc. The prior art is rife with such games, although advancements are continuously made due to the popularity of such games.
The games are predominantly skill-based with an element of minimal chance woven into the overall operation of the games. In games where prizes are collected from the game, an issue arises as to how to replenish the prize supply automatically so that an operator is not tasked with constant monitoring of the game. The issue with automatic prize replenishment is that prizes tend to collect at the location where the game inserts replacement prizes, creating a situation where the prize field is not evenly or properly distributed. Devices designed to spread out the prizes frequently jam or are ineffective in evening out the prize distribution. This is especially true for smaller prizes that are found in today's arcade games, such as tokens, poker chips, gift cards, and the like. Moreover, with prizes that are thin and can stack, the issue of jamming is present where the prizes stick or block the pusher or other movement device. The present invention is designed to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art prize distribution mechanisms.